A Burning Desire
by AlsinaOcean
Summary: Two months after capturing Commander Cobra and Destro, Ripcord and Scarlett have a talk about their relationship.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

This story takes place two months after the Joes capture Rex and Destro.

* * *

**Outside Scarlett's door…**

"Scar come on are you being serious right now?" Rip asked ouside Scarlett's door.

"Ripcord please don't play games with me now…I don't want to talk about it!" She said from behind her door. Sometimes she can be so difficult but that's what Rip loved about her.

"OK well first you don't want to talk about how **YOU** kissed me before I saved the whole world…and now **YOU** don't want to admit that I beat your shooter score. Come on baby I just want to hear it once!" He replied with a smirk.

Just then the door burst open and the gorgeous fiery redhead stood in front of the dark tall lean man. She stared at him with tranquil eyes and adjusted her bun. He stared right back with that smirk she hated and loved. Honestly she didn't know why she had kissed him and she had stayed up for weeks running it through her mind over and over, hence the fact that he beat her shooter score by one shot.

"So..?" Rip said smirking and taking a step back to lean against the back wall facing her.

She let out a sigh before replying, "Rip you beat me fair and square okay you happy?"

He smiled but still had a quizzical look on his face.

"What? Why do you always stare like that it's impolite." Scarlett said raising an eyebrow.

He laughed and said, "You know I've been thinking about you for the awhile now…"

She opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out…

"Every since we got back it seems like you've been avoiding me. So I just thought that I needed to do something you would notice. That's why I brought Kayla over."

She thought about the pretty brunette he had invited to Duke and Anna's engagement party and how jealous she was when she saw them together.

Ripcord continued looking away… "But you didn't even glance at me the whole night…so I thought that maybe if I beat you at your own game you might actually notice me…But now it's like this." He turned and looked at her. He knew that they had something he just didn't know if she did yet.

Rip took another breathe and continued since Scarlett looked at him knowing he had more to say, "I know it was immature of me or whatever but I just can't read you and it frustrates me. You don't even fall for my irresistible charm."

Scarlett let out a laugh that sounded like bells. Ripcord smiled at her and looked down at his feet not knowing what else to say. He felt drained and vulnerable. He had just shed his confident know it all demeanor for a woman he wasn't even sure cared.

He heard her take a step and looked up…Scarlett stared up at him and smiled.

"I didn't before Rip because I thought you were a handsome egotistical self centered dog...but…"

Rip laughed and let down her hair. "But…?"

"But now I'm not so sure." Scarlett said looking at him…he stared back and quickly moved her so her back was against the wall. The smirk returning to his face as he rested his hands on her hips.

"You think I'm ruggedly handsome?" He whispered. She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth but before Scarlett could reply his lips were on hers. He kissed her roughly with his hands on her waste; she kissed him back her hands tugging at his strong arms. His hands left her waste and moved to her legs. He picked her up and pinned her against the wall his hands running through her long mane. He pulled back and looked at her. Scarlett was out of breath, her legs wrapped tightly around his torso. Ripcord brushed the hair out of her face and kissed her lightly.

He smirked and whispered, "Are you sure now?" Scarlett took and breath ready to fire back with a smart remark but he put one finger to her lips. He kissed her hard again and then let her down and turned down the hallway.

Before he turned the corner he spun around to see Scarlett panting and rubbing her face… He laughed to himself and said, "When you're sure Scar come talk to me." Then turned around and disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

A Burning Desire

**Chapter 2:**

One week after Chapter 1

* * *

**Inside the Joe's Rec Room…**

It was 11:30 at night and Scarlett was alone. She liked it this way; just a book in front of her and the only thing she could hear were her own feet hitting the treadmill. It had been a week since her encounter with Ripcord in the hallway outside her room. And she hadn't stopped thinking about it since; she couldn't even concentrate on her book on The Faces of Physics. She knew she had feelings for him, but she was so confused because she had never felt this way before for any other man. The burning desire she had to see him utterly appalled her and she violently hit the STOP button on the treadmill.

"What is wrong with me? Why do I even want to see that smirk of his?" she thought to herself. But just thinking about his smile made her stomach do flips.

Just then she heard footsteps… "Who would be down here now?" she thought. Most of the Joe's were at the bar since it was there time off.

As if he had heard her thoughts, Ripcord waltz in singing to himself not noticing Scarlett standing by the treadmill.

Rip turned around and jumped. "Lord Woman you pretty much scared the brown off my skin!" he exclaimed.

All she could do was smile. He looked so sexy standing there with a frightened look on his face.

Rip gathered himself quickly and put up his little smirk he knew made Scarlett's knees weak. "So…what are you doing down here? I thought that you leave around 11." He asked her leaning against the exercise equipment.

Her stomach dropped when she heard that since he was obviously coming down here when he knew she was gone. "Um I was just getting a little more exercise Rip, I didn't know anyone was here," she replied.

He cocked his head to the side and walked over to where she was.

"The Faces of Physics huh? They should make a book called "The Faces of my Left Butt Cheek" it would probably get more reviews," he said chuckling.

Scarlett fought back the urge to laugh. "Well since I've over stayed my welcome I'll just go then." She said taking the book out of Rip's hands.

"Hey I'm not kicking you out…I'm actually happy you here. Since Duke bailed on me I need someone to spot me. Unless of course you're not strong enough." Rip said with a smile.

Scarlett rolled her eyes and walked over to the bench press.

Rip smiled to himself and tried not to act to happy about the time they were technically spending together since their kiss outside her room. He walked over and laid back on the bench. As he watched Scarlett lift the weight he thought about what to say.

His thoughts were interrupted when Scarlett piped, "Are you going to take it or not?"

He realized he wasn't lifting and took the weight and started to.

After his first set Rip decided he should just go for it.

"So why have been ignoring me Red?" he asked.

Scarlett didn't reply she just looked away and added forty more pounds to each side.

"Alright silence on your part I see how it is then," Rip said already lifting the heavy weight.

Just as he reached up to hand her the weight on his last rep, Scarlett let go and walked away pacing.

"Oof." Rip let out as the weight pretty much came crashing down on his ribcage. He fought to lift it back then just settled on throwing on the ground with a thud.

"What the hell are you thinking…you could have just killed me?" Rip said out of breath.

Scarlett paced ignoring him. Then she turned to him, "Why do you like me?" She asked.

He was shocked at the question then fired back, "Who says that I do."

Scarlett rolled her eyes and continued, "Rip please stop messing with my head. I've looked in every book and on every site and I just can't seem to twist my brain around the emotions I'm feeling right now."

He watched her and realized she was serious. And this made his heart pound.

"What do I like about you hmm?" He said with a smirk.

Scarlett stopped pacing and looked at him.

"Well…just about everything." He said looking at the floor. He thought he had already done this part when he spoke to her outside her room.

"That's not the right answer Ripcord," Scarlett said as she began walked out the Rec room toward her own room.

Rip followed after her. "Scar what do you want me to say?" he asked trying to keep up with her.

Scarlett ignored him and continued walking. She thought about when he had comforted her after she had lost the fight to Ana during the whole Rex thing. And how she had kissed him before he had saved the world not knowing if he was coming back. Then how just the week before he had told her that he cared about her. She really didn't know why it wasn't enough or what she wanted him to say.

She stopped when she felt Rip grab her forearm just outside her door.

He looked at her with a drained look and started to speak but she spoke first.

"Rip I just want you to tell me the truth," she said pleadingly. "If all you want from me is my face or my body then I know that feelings I have for you are false."

Ripcord let go of her arm and let out a breath.

Scarlett stared up at him for a second then turned to go into her room.

"Wait," Rip said in almost a whisper. Scarlett stopped with her hand on the doorknob.

Rip knew this was it. He knew that he had to tell her how he really felt or he would lose her. He took another breath, "What do I like about you Scar? I like how you read books I've never heard of and try to educate me on the subject even though you know I don't care. I like how you push yourself farther then anyone can push me. I like when you get annoyed when I eat your breakfast and the dimples just below your cheeks flare up. I like how you care more about the safety of others then yourself. Or when you manhandle me when I touch the small of your back. I like every single inch of your body even your third toe on your left foot you try to hide from everyone. If I had to stand here Scar and tell you everything I liked about you…I would be here forever and a day." Rip finished out of breath.

Scarlett smiled and turned around, "Well I must admit that was decent."

Ripcord laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist. He stared right into her eyes and said in a whisper, "I'm serious girl…I like you inside and out."

She smiled and stood up on her toes to kiss him.

He pulled away, "So what do you like about me…is it me ruggedly good looks or my irresistible charm?" Rip asked with a smirk.

Scarlett's knees buckled when she looked at him, "Who said I liked you Rip?" she replied.

He was about to counter when she silenced him with a hungry kiss and pulled him into her room.

That's when Rip knew she felt exactly the same way about him as he did her and shut the door behind him.


End file.
